The foundation stone for India’s first of its kind CO2-to-Methanol pilot plant with an overall capacity of 1.4 Tons Per Day (TPD) was unveiled virtually by Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, at Thermax Limited premises in Pune, Maharashtra.
This pioneering project, supported by DST, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India is to be implemented in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi and Thermax Limited, Pune, under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode, with an overall cost of approx. Rs. 31 crore.
The Secretary, DST, emphasized that the pilot plant will serve as a pioneering platform for the demonstration and advancement of indigenous Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) cutting-edge technologies, marking a significant step towards India’s Panchamrit declaration presented by Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi during COP 26.
The Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) office and NITI Aayog has recently recommended the creation of a National Mission on CCUS. He further informed that NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Petroleum are working on a policy for the introduction of 15 % methanol-blended diesel, which will help substantially reduce the import of crude oil.
Prof Karandikar said that the DST is leading the way in CCUS Research and Development through both national and bilateral/multilateral engagements, such as Mission Innovation (MI), ACT (Accelerating CCUS Technology), and CETP (Clean Energy Transition Programs), among others.
It has consistently contributed to the establishment of a robust ecosystem in the country and has already set up three CCUS National Centers of Excellence (CoE) involving various premier institutes across the nation. He further informed that the current initiative is another step towards fostering technological self-reliance in methanol production in India, aligning with national missions like Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat.
Dr. Anita Gupta, Adviser and Head, Climate, Energy and Sustainable Technology (CEST) division, DST who was present at the event informed that this consortium project in PPP mode between IIT Delhi and Thermax Limited will serve as a first of its kind CCU living lab, focussing on the development of new catalysts and processes for conversion of captured CO2 to useful methanol from both pre-combustion and post-combustion processes, thereby, reducing CO2 footprint.
Additionally, a comprehensive techno-economic analysis will assess the feasibility and commercial viability of the CO2-to-Methanol conversion process, demonstrating decarbonisation in the coal-based thermal sector, which accounts for approximately 30% of emissions. Dr Gupta further stated that the findings will offer valuable insights for scaling up to commercial-scale CO2 to chemical plants. This will also help spearhead a groundbreaking initiative aimed at developing indigenous technologies and decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors.
Mr. Ashish Bhandari, MD, Thermax; Prof. Naresh Bhatnagar Dean R&D, IIT Delhi; Dr. R.R. Sonde Co-PI of IIT Delhi – Thermax CCU Project as well as Dr. Neelima Alam, Associate Head, and other officers of the Climate, Energy and Sustainable Technology (CEST) division, & other dignitaries attended the event.
